20:09
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MANSEHRA: The transporters in Kohistan district took to the streets on Monday against the ban on the entry of non-custom paid (NCP) vehicles into Gilgit-Baltistan.
The strike call was given by all transporters associations of Kohistan after the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) government launched a crackdown against the NCP vehicles, creating hardships for passengers across the district.
A large number of drivers and protesters also took to the streets in Dassu, Pattan and Shatial areas to protest the restrictions on their NCP vehicles in the region.
The protesters also blocked the Karakoram Highway at Dassu, Pattan and Shatial by placing big rocks on the road for several hours.
The 50-vehcile convoy coming from Rawalpindi and other parts of the country was also stuck up at Pattan and could not proceed to other parts of the district and then to the GB.
The transporters said the government had declared Kohistan and Malakand a tax-free zone because of the poverty and underdevelopment but the GB government was creating hurdles for them by not allowing their vehicles into its territory.
“If we are not being allowed to take our vehicles to the region, then we will follow suit and give tit-for-tat response to it and we will also not allow the NCP vehicles from the area to use our soil to proceed to other parts of country,” said one of the transporters.
In view to the ruling of a local court, the government imposed the ban on the entry of NCP vehicles into its territory in March 2011 but the issue was later settled when the district administration of Kohistan took up the matter with the GB government and vehicles were allowed to ply on both sides. “We have restricted the convoy of vehicles in Pattan and Dassu as precautionary measures to avoid any unpleasant incident and will allow them to proceed to their respective destinations in GB shortly,” said District Coordination Officer Syed Aqal Badshah.
When contacted, he said he had already taken up the issue of NCP vehicles with the GB home secretary last month but the issue was yet to be resolved. “To address the resentment of people on this side of the boundary , we have also restricted the entry of the NCP vehicles of GB into Kohistan and the ban would remain in place until transporters of both sides are allowed to take their NCP vehicles to both sides of the border,” said Badshah.
The strike call was given by all transporters associations of Kohistan after the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) government launched a crackdown against the NCP vehicles, creating hardships for passengers across the district.
A large number of drivers and protesters also took to the streets in Dassu, Pattan and Shatial areas to protest the restrictions on their NCP vehicles in the region.
The protesters also blocked the Karakoram Highway at Dassu, Pattan and Shatial by placing big rocks on the road for several hours.
The 50-vehcile convoy coming from Rawalpindi and other parts of the country was also stuck up at Pattan and could not proceed to other parts of the district and then to the GB.
The transporters said the government had declared Kohistan and Malakand a tax-free zone because of the poverty and underdevelopment but the GB government was creating hurdles for them by not allowing their vehicles into its territory.
“If we are not being allowed to take our vehicles to the region, then we will follow suit and give tit-for-tat response to it and we will also not allow the NCP vehicles from the area to use our soil to proceed to other parts of country,” said one of the transporters.
In view to the ruling of a local court, the government imposed the ban on the entry of NCP vehicles into its territory in March 2011 but the issue was later settled when the district administration of Kohistan took up the matter with the GB government and vehicles were allowed to ply on both sides. “We have restricted the convoy of vehicles in Pattan and Dassu as precautionary measures to avoid any unpleasant incident and will allow them to proceed to their respective destinations in GB shortly,” said District Coordination Officer Syed Aqal Badshah.
When contacted, he said he had already taken up the issue of NCP vehicles with the GB home secretary last month but the issue was yet to be resolved. “To address the resentment of people on this side of the boundary , we have also restricted the entry of the NCP vehicles of GB into Kohistan and the ban would remain in place until transporters of both sides are allowed to take their NCP vehicles to both sides of the border,” said Badshah.
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